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I sighed. “That was mean.”
And I had a sinking feeling she was completely right.
“It’s probably a good thing I’m moving north,” I added. “I’ll be away from temptation.”
* * *
So much for that plan. My moving crew wound up being Cash, MacKay, Ian, and Sera. Cash had asked MacKay if he would help without my knowing it, and MacKay had asked Ian.
“I don’t know how I feel about you living here alone,” Cash said on Saturday, after we’d gotten me up to Wanted and into my cozy little apartment. He made a big production of checking the windows and the lock on the door.
I rolled my eyes. “It’s fine. This is the second floor. It’s a small town. I’m right downtown so the streetlights are on at night.”
I was more concerned about rearranging the furniture. He’d insisted on putting the couch I’d bought against the window wall when I wanted to float it in the middle of the room. He’d said that he thought the couch might prevent someone from being able to open the windows and break in. On the second floor.
“This isn’t exactly a jumping town. You can’t count on the masses to save you if someone breaks in. I’m not sure anyone will even hear you scream.”
MacKay coughed.
I didn’t dare look at him or I might start laughing. I knew exactly what kind of screaming he was thinking about. The good kind.
Then again, maybe he wasn’t. Maybe it was just a cough. We were solidly in the friend zone right now, which on the one hand, made being around him with my brother present easier, but at the same time filled me with regrets. I wasn’t sure I'd handled any of it the best way possible.
“I will lock my door, I promise,” I reassured my brother. “I’m an adult. I need to learn to be independent.”
“You’re a young, single woman living alone.”
“I think Wanted is pretty safe,” Ian said. “I’ve never heard of any issues. I’ve been living here almost five years.”
MacKay wasn’t saying anything, but he was pacing around the apartment, occasionally flicking open the blinds in the living room like he wanted to catch a peeping Tom. He and Cash’s paranoia seemed to be feeding off of each other.
“You’re not a young, single woman,” Cash pointed out.
MacKay nodded. “I think you should get a security system installed.”
“I lived alone for three years,” Sera said. “Well, actually, not alone, with the kids, but that’s worse because I’m responsible for them. Anyway, my point is, you have to just be smart and trust that nothing is going to happen. You can’t live your life assuming the worst. Faith knows not to walk home alone at night or leave her doors unlocked.”
“Exactly,” I said. “I’m not an idiot. I will get a security system. Or at least something for the front door.” Not that I had tons of extra cash lying around. I’d just spent a lot on this apartment and the furnishing for it. Virtually everything I’d made all summer working at the bakery plus my graduation gift money. Cash had loaned me one of his cars (last count I think he had five) temporarily so I needed to be saving to buy one on my own, not spending money on high tech security systems.
MacKay held up his phone. “I’ve already found one online. I think I should order it.”
Cash nodded. “Go for it.”
I had to admit, Cash had gotten into my head. This was the first time in my entire life I’d lived alone. In college I had always had a roommate, and well, growing up in the Young family, I’d never had two seconds to myself.
Alone had always sounded blissful.
Now it sounded slightly intimidating. Scary. A little lonely.
“How much is it?”
“Don’t worry about it,” MacKay said.
“I’m worried about it,” I protested. “I have a budget.”
“I’ll pay for it,” Cash said.
“You can’t keep doing that,” I said, getting upset. “I appreciate everything you do for me, trust me, I do. But I can’t let you support me for the rest of my life. I can pay for a camera for my front door, but anything more elaborate is going to have to wait.”
